Elon Musk's Robotaxi Push Expands To Phoenix As Tesla Seeks Arizona Approval

Tesla Inc. TSLA will expand the company's Robotaxi service to Phoenix, Arizona, as the Robotaxi race in the U.S. heats up.

What Happened: "Tesla has applied for both autonomous vehicle testing/operating with a driver and testing/operating without a driver," the Arizona Department of Transportation said in response to a query by Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt on Thursday.

The agency confirmed that Tesla had applied for the certifications on June 26 and said that a decision from the agency should be made by "the end of the month," and said that the company intends to operate in the Phoenix Metro area.

Why It Matters: The news comes in as Elon Musk had said that the company will also be expanding its Robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area pending regulatory approvals.

However, the FSD technology, which forms the basis of the Robotaxi's self-driving capabilities, has been under scrutiny after NHTSA said it was reviewing possible traffic violations by the Robotaxi during the Austin launch event last month.

Elsewhere, Future Fund LLC's managing director, Gary Black, believes ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. UBER is best positioned to benefit from adopting autonomous driving to its platform.

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